One-piece straight line edge paperboard tray



United States Patent Richard E. Paige 432 Park Ave. South, New York, New York 10016 Jan. 13, 1969 Dec. 1, i970 lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented ONE-PIECE STRAIGHT LINE EDGE PAPERBOARD TRAY 2 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

229/31, 229/40 Int. Cl 865d 5/00 Field of Search 229/ 16, 40,

31; 206/45.l2, 45.3l; 220/l l2 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,001,761 5/1935 Bear 229/87(B)UX 2,197,5l0 4/l940 Ringler... 22 /28 2,989,21 l 6/1961 Zeitter.... 220/] l2 3,263,895 8/l966 Young 229/40X Primary Examiner- David M. Bockenek Anorney- Polachek and Saulsbury ABSTRACT: A one-piece paperboard tray for displaying and supporting flat articles of rectangular configuration conveniently and removably in exposed position. The tray is adapted to be shipped flat and readily erected by the ultimate user. The tray comprises sectional side and end walls, the'bottorn sections of the sidewalls being pivotally mounted and adapted to be moved inwardly ofthe upper sections thereofto serve as bottom shelves for supporting the articles. The top of the tray is open.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 3,543,992

Sheet 3 of3 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 v r. 3,543,992

Sheet- 3 023 INVENTOR. R/(HA/FO FI I/6f ATTOAA/[KS ONE-PIECE STRAIGHT LINE EDGE BAPEIIBOARD TRAY This invention relates generally to trays-arid more particularly to new and useful improvements in a straight line, onepiece tray for conveniently and removably supporting multiple units of packaged goods. I

It is known that merchandise, such ascigars, are marketed packed five to a flat carton ,andare displayed and sold from counters or floor stands in tobacco shops, supermarkets, drug stores and the like. In order to make the five-packs of cigars convenient to sell and handle the cigars are packed ten packs to a tray. Thus, the already-packeted cigars are banded together for the purpose of wholesale and retail handling, ten packs to a tray. These trays fit into wire racks or on counters. The tray does not hold merchandise together but supports the finished cartons, each a package ready for sale, the open tray being a device for makingten packs of cigars or the like a single unit of sale. Instead of cigars it will be understood that refills of Scotch tapes, flat-packs of pencils, candy, facial tissues or other flatpackaged merchandise may be marketed in this fashion. I

The trays with which applicant is aware all use some form of floor piece separate from and in addition to the sides of the tray making the manufacture thereof expensive. Applicant saves material and expense by using portions of the sides of the tray for supporting the contents.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece rectangular tray with straight line edges for supporting multiple units of packaged goods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rectangular tray with an open top and spaced floor sections disposed longitudinally ofthe body of the tray.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tray for supporting articles in upright position made from a single piece of cardboard or paperboard that can be shipped in flat collapsed condition and which is adapted to be readily set up.

Still another object is to provide a tray made of cardboard or paperboard material that is extremely economical to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a tray of this kind in which the contents are visible from above, below and at the sides and ends. l

' Another object of the invention is to provide a tray of this kind that is of one-piece construction, will be sufficiently strong toretain contents of ordinary specific gravity, with a minimum of gluing or other securing means. 1

Another objectis to provide a tray of this kind that may be manufactured on standard readily available equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blank for forming a shallow open-topped tray.

Still another object ofthe invention is an improved method of making a rectangular shallow open-topped tray of cardboard or paperboard material,

Various objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upo'n'reading the following specification together with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a tray embodying one form of the invention is formed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray partially set up.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tray in its assembled condition, parts being shown broken away.

FIG. 3A is a reduced view of the blank after it has been folded and glued.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the tray of FIG. 3 with articles shown supported therein, an article being shown partly withdrawn in dash lines.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 5-5 of FIG. 4 on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a modified form of blank.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a tray formed from the blank of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the tray of FIG. 8 showing articles'supported therein.

FIG. 10 is a view looking from the front of FIG. 9. parts being shown broken away.

Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawing, in FIG. I there is shown a blank 10 of paperboard, cardboard or similar material. This blank comprises upper sidewall sections 12 and 14, end wall l6, and end wall sections I8 and 20. The end wall section 20 has one surface thereof coated with adhesive 22. The wall sections and end wall are longitudinally alined and integrally joined to each other by scores. In particular, the sidewall section 12 and end wall section 18 are in-.

tegrally joined by a score 24; the sidewall section I2 and end wall I6 by a score 26; the end wall I6 and sidewall section I4 by a score 28; and the sidewall section 14 and end wall section 20 by a score 30.

Immediately below the a pair of bottom wall sections 32 and 34, respectively. The bottom wall sections are separated from the top wall sections 12 and 14 by slits 36 and 38, respectively. Slit 36 at one end intersects score line 24 and continues into end wall section 18 a short distance along a curved line as indicated at 40 where the slit 40 joins the end o'fa slanting score line 42 extending to the juncture of the bottom wall section 32 and end wall section I8. A score line 44 forms a continuation of the score line 24. The cut line 40, score line 42 and score line 44 define a flap 46 which swingingly joins one end of the bottom sidewall section 32 to the end wall section 18. At its other end, the slit or out line 36 continues across the score line 26 in curved for mation as indicated at 50 and continues into the end wall I6 a short distance where it joins-one end ofa slanting score line 52 extending to the junction of the bottom sidewall section 32 and end wall 16. A score line 54 forms a continuation of the score line 26. The cut line 50, score line 52 and score line 54 define a flap 56 swingingly joining the other end of the bottom sidewall section 32 to the end wall 16.

The slit or cut line 38 similarly continues across the score line 28 and 30 in the end wall 16 and end wall section 20, respectively, forming curved cut lines 58 and 60 respectively, which join similar slanting score lines 62 and 64, respectively. Score lines 66 and 68 forming continuations of score lines 28 and 30, respectively, together with the score lines 62 and 64 and curved cut lines 58,60 form flaps 70 and 72 in the end wall 16 and end wall section 20 thereby swingingly joining the bottom sidewall section 34 to the end wall 16 and end wall section 20. 7

As will be noted from FIG. 2, the height of the bottom sidewall sections 32 and 34 is the same as the height of the top sidewall sections 12 and 14. respectively.

In FIG. 3A, there may be seen the blank 10 after it has been folded and glued, and is still flat in generally tubular or sleevelike configuration.

In FIG. 2 there may be seen the blank I0 after it has been folded and glued and partly set up or opened and is still in generally tubular or sleevelike configuration. It will be seen from FIG. 2 that the sidewall sections I2, 14, 32, 34; end wall 16 and end wall sections 18, 20 have been folded, this fold being made on the scores '24, 26, 28 and 30. The glue portion 22 of the end wall section 20 has been adhesively secured to the end wall section 18. It is in this condition shown in FIG. 3A

that the tray of this invention is shipped to the ultimate user, and the ultimate user may proceed after receiving the tray shown in FIG. 3A, to open it up to the condition shown in FIG. 2. The ultimate user than proceeds to manually push in the bottom sidewall sections 32 and 34 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 3, thereby forming the opposed spaced shelves 74 and 76 on the bottom of the tray. The cut lines 49, 50, 58, 60 together with the scores 42, 52, 62 and 64 permit this operation. The sidewall sections 32 and 34 swing on the flaps 46, 56, 70, 72 as pivots. When the tray is thus set up and finished forming the tray 77 of FIGS. 3 and 4, there is a central slot 78 in the bottom, cutaway portions 80, 80 in the sides, and notches 82 in the ends of the tray and the top is open as shown in FIG. 3. It will be noted that there are straight edges along sidewall sections 12 and I4 there are the tops of the top sidewall sections 32, 34 along the top and bottom of the end wall 16 and end wall sections 18, 20 and along the outer edges of the bottom shelves 74 and 76.

After setting up the tray 77 into the condition shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, articles90, such for example as flat boxes of cigars, rectangular in configuration. are placed loosely therein, back-to-back 'on their ends, as seen in H6. 4. The articles may have advertising indicia 91 thereon. These articles 90 may comprise refills of Scotch tapes, flat-packs of pencils,

candy, facial tissues or other flat-packaged merchandise. The

articles supported on the shelves 74 and 76 serve to hold the shelves downward in radial position and thus to hold thetray in the setup condition without the necessityfor further gluing or stapling operations or the like. This may be clearly seen in the sectional view of FIG. 6 where the several articles 90 are shown retaining the shelves in the fully rotated position.

In FIGS. 7 to ltL i'nclusive, there is illustrated a tray 77' embodying a slightly modified form of the invention. The blank;

10' used for forming tray 77' is similar to the blank lexcept that there are score or crease lines '92 and 94 formed inv the end wall sections 18' and 20' and a cutaway portion 96 in the top'edge of the end wall 16'. By reason of the lines 92.and 94, the rear end wall sections 18' and. 20 are adapted to be bent therealong, thereby reducing the height of said rear end wall sections forming a lower overall rear end than the front end as best seen in FIG. 9. This permits the articles 90 to be supported at an angle to the vertical, permitting the advertising matter 91' on the articles to be observed and read more easily and permitting the articles when.being inserted to assume a,

nested position automatically and more easily. The cutaway portion 96 in the end wall 16 facilitates withdrawal of the articles from the tray.

I lnall other respects, the 'tray'77 is similar inconstruction to" the construction of tray 77 and 'similanreferencenumerals are similar parts; 1.

posite walls and lowered to lie flush with the bottom edge to provide the bottom of the tray and substantially triangularshaped flaps cutout of opposite sides of opposing walls at the corners of the tube and-joining the bottom panel areas with the corner scoring thereof and. scoring upwardly and inclined from the bottom corner points and said flaps being folded onto the opposing walls, said'bottom, panel areas thereby being suspended from the folded flaps tolie horizontally side-by-side to serve as the bottom forkthe tray.

2. A foldable, open-top;package-holding paperboard tray, as defined in Claim 1, and one of the unsevered walls of the tubehaving a horizontal score line running parallel to the bot- V torn edge thereof and between the flaps thereof to permit the wall to be depressed and for lowering the wall and tilting the other walls so as to hold the packages in inclined positions within the tray. .v 

